MLB Player News

Rortvedt (shoulder) went 0-for-2 with a strikeout in Saturday's 10-1 loss to the Mets in Grapefruit League play.

Rortvedt played for the first time since receiving an injection in his sore right shoulder early last week, though he was limited to a non-defensive role. Per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, Rortvedt will be available off the bench again Monday versus Atlanta, but if called upon to play, the 27-year-old will most likely replace starting designated hitter Eloy Jimenez. According to MLB.com, the Rays are targeting Thursday's game versus the Phillies for Rortvedt's return to catching duty, assuming his throwing is no longer compromised by the shoulder issue.

Driscoll has been sidelined after rolling his right ankle and will see a doctor Monday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Driscoll is on the 40-man roster, but as Topkin notes, Driscoll likely was headed to Triple-A to start the year regardless of health. He slashed .288/.362/.468 with seven home runs in 72 minor-league games a season ago.

Fortes (back) is starting at catcher and batting eighth in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.

Fortes was scratched from Sunday's lineup with back spasms but he is evidently over the issue a day later. Fortes is the incumbent behind the dish, while prospect Agustin Ramirez is the higher-upside option who could push Fortes for playing time this summer.

Ramirez continues to work on his defense in an effort to stick as a catcher when he reaches the major leagues, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Acquired from the Yankees in last year's Jazz Chisholm trade, Ramirez's bat has never been in question -- Wednesday, he posted an exit velocity of 115.1 mph, the sixth-fastest hit recorded by any player this spring and a mark topped among 2024 MLB catchers by only William Contreras -- but the 23-year-old still has work to do on his pitch framing, blocking and release time on base-stealing attempts. Ramirez showed up early to camp to try and improve in all those areas, however, and his work ethic has been noticed by the Marlins' coaching staff. "We've been hammering all of it," catching coach Joe Singley said this week. "I think he's super talented, and there's a lot of low hanging fruit there. We're getting him in positions where he can let that athleticism go, slightly adjusting some things to help him block the ball and receive it without having to think about it too much. Just clearing up some positions for him to be an athlete." Ramirez is expected to begin the season at Triple-A Jacksonville, but if Nick Fortes' back issues linger into Opening Day, it could open up a spot for the organization's top catching prospect to make his MLB debut.

Heim went 2-for-2 with a run scored, threw out a runner attempting to steal and picked off a runner at third base in Saturday's spring game against the Brewers.

Heim had a strong game after fellow catcher Kyle Higashioka belted two home runs and drove in six a day earlier. The two backstops are expected to have a relatively even share behind the plate, which could help the switch-hitting Heim maintain a strong bat all season and avoid a second-half fade.

Vazquez went 1-for-3 in Saturday's loss to the Red Sox and is hitting 2-for-8 in his first three spring games.

Vazquez was the subject of trade rumors in the offseason as the Twins were thought to want to offload the $10 million for the final year of his contract. However, he looks set to stay on the roster and repeat sharing catching duties fairly equally with Ryan Jeffers. Vazquez continues to slip at the plate as he had a career-worst .575 OPS and .248 OBP last season, but he is still seen as a strong defender (ninth in baseball with seven Defensive Runs Saved).

Smith has been dealing with a bone bruise in his ankle since last June, but he doesn't think the issue has affected his swing, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Smith rolled his ankle against the Yankees in a game last summer while trying to break up a double play, but the issue didn't lead to him missing any time. However, Smith's offensive numbers took a nosedive after the incident, as he batted just .215 with five home runs over 74 games across the remainder of the regular season. Manager Dave Roberts suggested Saturday that the ankle issue may have been at least partly to blame for the All-Star catcher's dropoff, stating, "I do believe the foot was kind of impeding the swing." Due to the lingering effects of the bone bruise -- which he has stated mainly affects him when he runs -- Smith didn't make his Cactus League debut this season until Friday, when he went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts while starting behind the plate. There doesn't seem to be any concern that Smith is in danger of missing any regular-season time due to the injury, though it's worth noting that general manager Brandon Gomes implied that the Dodgers' depth could lead to more off days for Smith in 2025, stating, "Having a really deep lineup assuming we're healthy allows you to potentially give him a day here and there where maybe we wouldn't have in the past."

Fortes was scratched from the lineup for Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals due to back spasms, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

The Marlins are calling Fortes day-to-day, so there doesn't seem to be too much concern regarding his injury. He'll take a day off to recover Saturday, which will allow Agustin Ramirez to start behind the dish and bat seventh.

Jackson went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, a walk and three RBI in Friday's Grapefruit League win over Toronto.

Jackson drove in half of New York's runs in the exhibition contest, drilling a solo homer to left field in the fifth inning and adding a two-run double in the sixth. The 29-year-old is trying to secure the Yankees' backup catcher job this spring, with J.C. Escarra and Ben Rice also candidates for the role.

Higashioka went 2-for-2 with two home runs and six RBI in Friday's spring game against the Cubs.

Higashioka belted a two-run homer in the second inning, produced a run on sacrifice fly in the fourth and then launched a three-run shot in the sixth. He blipped the fantasy radar in 2024 when the right-handed hitter knocked 17 home runs in 84 games for the Padres. The catcher's also drawn reviews this spring for his handling of the pitching staff, Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News reports. The Rangers are expected to have a relatively even split behind the plate between Higashioka and Jonah Heim, who had some alarming drops in advanced metrics last season and is no stranger to second-half fades.